How To Turn Beer Into A Laidback Summer Cocktail

Beer, that refreshing poolside libation, has a history that likely goes back further than you think: The fermented suds have been quenching thirsts for a cool 13,000 years. Despite coming in many shades of flavor and varying degrees of strength, beer isn't a super common cocktail ingredient. Aside from micheladas, shandys, and beer-dunked margaritas, there aren't too many other popular brew-infused cocktails. Although beer is most frequently consumed directly from a can or bottle, it's diverse enough to mingle with a variety of spirits and mixers, so why aren't we thinking beyond the basics? Why settle for the same old beer cocktails when there's so much behind-the-bar goodness to be explored? Enter Spaghett — the no-fuss, no-frills, summer-ready beer cocktail that's as easy to make as it is to sip.

Despite its name, spaghett has nothing to do with pasta. Made with a quarter-sipped Miller High Life topped with Aperol and lemon juice, Spaghett was developed by cheeky Maryland-based bartender Reed Cahill at Baltimore's Wet City Brewery. Naming it after Spagett, a zany, spaghetti-eating character from Adult Swim's alternative sketch comedy show "Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!," Cahill designed the cocktail as a populist iteration of an Aperol spritz. Instead of using champagne as a mixer, however, Spaghett is made with the champagne of beers — Miller High Life. Despite its downmarket roots, the drink is surprisingly refreshing, flaunting notes of citrusy brightness with approachable but presently bitter undercurrents accented by the familiar bite of a classic domestic beer. To make it, all you have to do is take a 2-ounce glug of Miller High Life and replace the empty space with Aperol and freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Seeing that Spaghett itself is an off-the-cuff cocktail, there's no hard rule against making it your own with different fixings. If you want a stronger, punchier version of this beer cocktail, use Campari instead of Aperol. Campari, another Italian bitter apertif, has a higher ABV (alcohol by volume) and a more pronounced hit of bitterness than Aperol. Although Miller High Life is essential for fulfilling the "champagne" element of the low-brow, beer-made Aperol spritz, other brews mingle nicely with the ingredients central to Spaghett. Wheat beers, fruit-infused brews, and crispy blonde ales are all excellent options. To give it a proper Italian flair, you can't go wrong with Peroni.

Instead of using lemon to jazz up Spaghett, try experimenting with other citrus fruits. Orange imparts a more pronounced sweetness while grapefruit can bolster the bitter notes of the beer cocktail. A sprig of basil can add a touch of sophistication while wrapping the drink in a trim of sweet, peppery, aromatic, and herb-tinted freshness. To give the drink a candied finish, add a dash of maraschino cherry syrup.

Whether you drink the way Reed Cahill intended or dress it up in your own style, Spaghett is an easy, breezy, somewhat silly, but totally sippable way to turn a plain Jane beer into a surprisingly zippy and thirst-quenching cocktail. As always — drink responsibly!